Non-work related books I read in 2018

I had a bit of obsession with Vietnam this year with two novels: The Sympathizer and Tree of Smoke. For non-fiction, Other Minds: Essays on the Origins of Consciousness Informed by Study of the Evolutionary History of Cephalopods. The Lives of Others: a multi-generational novel about Marxist foment in India.  Not shown but read: American Prison (obtained from the library, a public institution) and The Girls (borrowed by my daughter)

My family, late summer early fall 2018

This is my older daughter Sophie. She is helping one my PhD students, 
Karen Kinslow, do some topographic surveying. Sophie is a junior in high
 school this year.

These are my twins, Sara (left) and Kate (right). They are in the fourth grade
 and this is the first day of the school year.

My garden in 2018: tromboncino

Tromboncino, or zucchetta, can be eaten as a summer squash or allowed to cure and eaten as a winter squash.  The top photos is the summer tromboncino. At the bottom are the ones that made it through to the curing stage. I have them now, in my basement root cellar and will be eating them through the spring of 2019. They taste a lot like acorn squash but are much easier to peel. I use a puree of boiled or roasted winter tromboncino as a base for a tomato pasta sauce and for when I make pinto or black beans. I've baked it into breads and added boiled slices of it to miso soup.

2018 music favorites

In no order of importance, and only a few are band/songs I heard for the first time in 2018 although they may be from the deeper past. Thanks again to WFMU and the podcasts by Todd-o-Phonic Todd and Suzy Hotrod's Rock and Roller Derby show.

Music City – Pretty Feelings
The Nude Party – Records
The Number Ones – Lie to Me, Long Way to Go
Dancer – I'm Not Giving Up
No Bunny – Church Mouse, I Am a Girlfriend
Tyler Keith and the Apostles – Do It for Johnny
Corner Boys – Love Tourist
Wyldlife – Teenage Heart
The Mighty Jabronis – Heart Punch My Heart
The Straight Arrows – 21st Century
The Scientists – Frantic Romantic and Last Night
Sam Pocker and the Pretty Colors – Weekend with You
Wau and Los Arrrghs!! – Es Un Buen Dia
The Rentals – Irrational Things
Nick Lowe – Crying Inside